You guys just have to realize DS9 matches the Trek formula. A third of it is good, a third of it is average and a third of it is terrible.

Been like that going all the way back to 1966.

I disagree with this. DS9 was probably the most consistent and even of the Trek series. There are a lot less really terrible episodes in it than there are in others, because there's no equivalent to the first two seasons of TNG, the first two seasons of ENT, the third season of TOS, etc.